The Library Murders (A Flora Steele Mystery, #8)

by Merryn Allingham

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Library Murders is the eighth Flora Steele cozy mystery by Merryn Allingham. Released 20th Feb. 2024 by Bookouture, it's 256 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, as are the rest of the books in the series.

Village cozies, historical mysteries, and light British crime are wildly popular, and with good reason. This one ticks a lot of boxes. It's capably written with an intelligent and appealing female bookstore owner drawn into another investigation with her soon-to-be-husband Jack during a book fair when Flora happens across a man standing over a body under suspicious circumstances. The action does move resolutely forward, and it never drags, so although simple, it's an enjoyable and engaging read. There is no bad language or triggering content and the climax and denouement were satisfying and included a few twisty surprises. 

Four and a half stars. This is an enjoyable historical British cozy. Fans of the genre will find a lot to like here. Despite being the eighth book in the series it works well as a self-contained standalone. The series continues to go from strength to strength and with so many books extant currently, it would make a great choice for a binge/buddy read, and all the books are in the 4-5 star range.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.